New Emails Provide Stunning Evidence of DOJ and Hunter Biden Corruption

Bonchie10:20 AM on August 20, 2023

As RedState reported, a new report from Politico blew up the lengths to which Hunter Biden's legal team went to secure the sweetheart plea deal that would eventually fall apart under questioning from Judge Maryellen Noreika.

In a shocking revelation, a threat was lodged to call President Joe Biden as a witness if the now-infamous gun crime Hunter Biden committed was prosecuted. That would have presumably left the DOJ facing the wrath of the White House, and sure enough, pre-trial diversion with broad immunity was eventually offered.

The New York Times was also shown the emails that Politico based its story on, and together, the two outlets offer a stunning look at various events that appear to show clear collusion between Hunter Biden and the DOJ. Tristen Leavitt, who works for Empower Oversight, a whistleblower advocacy group that represents Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler, put together a thread of the highlights.

Had the DOJ Tax Division approved charges against Hunter Biden, Weiss would have had the ability to file charges wherever he wanted. Why was that denied, given the clear evidence that existed that Hunter Biden had failed to lawfully pay his taxes, never mind the alleged fraud he committed in doing so (i.e., claiming a sex club membership as a golf club membership)?

Hunter Biden's legal strategy was to pressure and coerce the DOJ into not prosecuting. That was accomplished through the aforementioned threat of calling Joe Biden to testify, but also through a series of moves to politicize the probe, including inserting Donald Trump into the discussion. You may recognize the name Lesley Wolf, as that's the same Assitant U.S. Attorney who essentially scuttled the IRS' investigation into Hunter Biden. I can only assume she took the threat of "career suicide" from Hunter Biden's lawyers very seriously given her actions regarding the case.

Pressure also appears to have been applied to the U.S. Attorneys in other districts, including in the districts that would ultimately not file charges and rebuff Weiss' request for cooperation.

Things didn't stop there, though. Hunter Biden's lawyers then sought to go over the head of Weiss.

It wasn't long before the very same associate attorney general who Clark appealed to decided to force Weiss to have yet another meeting with Hunter Biden's legal team. That's when the timeline gets really crazy.

Yes, you read that right. One of the top officials at the DOJ forced Weiss to meet with Hunter Biden's primary lawyer, and just four days later, the IRS whistleblowers (Shapley and Ziegler) were removed from the case. The rest is history. The sweetheart plea deal would then be formulated and pursued by both sides.

It's impossible to ignore how corrupt this entire process was, and it's also impossible to believe that Weiss could still be trusted to handle this probe in an unbiased fashion. When a U.S. Attorney has already succumbed to so much pressure, including pressure that looks incredibly corrupt, there's no reason to believe that person has what it takes to be the special counsel in charge.

https://redstate.com/bonchie/2023/08/20/emails-provide-stunning-evidence-of-doj-and-hunter-biden-collusion-and-an-obession-with-donald-trump-n2162833

20 Aug, 2023 14:08

US demands Ukraine be ‘less risk-averse’ – FT

Officials in Washington want Kiev to concentrate its forces exclusively on the Southern front, the newspaper claims

US officials are growing increasingly disappointed with the way Ukraine is conducting its counteroffensive and are skeptical about whether Kiev will be able to achieve any significant gains this year, the Financial Times has reported.

The British daily claimed that the US has been urging Ukraine to double down on its push in the Zaporozhye region instead of spreading its forces too thin along a lengthy frontline.

In its article on Sunday, the FT is alleging that rifts between the allies are beginning to grow, with aquestion mark now hanging over US President Joe Biden’s ability to secure congressional approvalfor more defense assistance for Ukraine.

According to the report, Washington and Kiev had originally expected the counteroffensive to start in the spring and breach Russian defenses during the summer. The Ukrainian military was supposed to employ NATO’s combined arms-maneuver tactics which its troops had been taught by its Western backers, the newspaper explained. However, amid initial setbacks, Kiev’s forces reverted to older tactics – much to the displeasure of officials in Washington.

Despite small gains made by Ukrainian forces recently, ever more officials in the US capital are privately preparing for a “war of attrition that will last well into next year,” the FT alleged.

A major bone of contention between the two countries is reportedly the way Kiev has deployed its military.

“US officials have encouraged Ukraine to be less risk-averse and fully commit its forces to the main axis of the counteroffensive in the south,” the paper wrote.

The Americans see this as the only viable option that could potentially bring Kiev a major breakthrough, by severing Moscow’s land bridge to Crimea, the media outlet claimed.

Kiev, however, is keeping nearly half of its forces in the East in a bid to recapture the strategic city of Artyomovsk (known in Ukraine as Bakhmut) that was seized by the PMC Wagner Group in May, following months of grueling battles.

With more and more prominent Republicans calling for cutbacks to US aid for Ukraine and for peace negotiations with Russia, a poll conducted by CNN earlier this month indicates that 55% of Americans now oppose further funding for Ukraine from Congress, with 45% in favor.

Also on Sunday, the Washington Post claimed that the Ukrainian counteroffensive is showing “signs of stalling,” adding that Kiev’s window of opportunity is diminishing before adverse weather conditions set in.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the ongoing push has already cost Ukraine 43,000 soldiers and nearly 5,000 pieces of military hardware.

https://www.rt.com/news/581538-ft-ukraine-us-counteroffensive-disagreements/

20 Aug, 2023

Russian air defense shoots down multiple targets near Belgorod – governor

Several aerial targets were destroyed and emergency services are assessing potential damage, according to Vyacheslav Gladkov

Russian air defenses shot down multiple drones over the southwestern Belgorod Region on Saturday, according to local authorities and the country’s military.

The Defense Ministry has confirmed the destruction of three unmanned aerial aircraft in the area, blaming on Kiev the foiled “terrorist attack.” The drones were downed in an unpopulated area, avoiding any casualties or material damage on the ground, the military said.

Governor of Belgorod Vyacheslav Gladkov initially said at least 12 aerial targets had been downed outside the city. The official revised this figure later in the day, confirming that only three targets had been shot down, with an initial assessment of the situation having suggested the incident did not cause any damage on the ground.

The Russian border regions of Kursk, Bryansk and Belgorod have been repeatedly subjected to drone strikes and artillery shelling by Kiev during the ongoing conflict, which broke out back in February 2022. The attacks have left dozens of civilians killed and injured, as well as damaging infrastructure.

In recent weeks, Ukraine also ramped up its efforts to target the Russian capital with long-range drones. The attempts have been mostly unsuccessful so far, but several unmanned aircraft made it to Moscow’s business district, where they caused material damage.

https://www.rt.com/russia/581536-belgorod-ukrainian-drones-destroyed/

20 Aug, 2023

Zelensky is 'dangerous' for Ukraine – ex-Presidential aide

The president is not up to the job of leading his country, Oleg Soskin has claimed

The “inadequate” leadership of Vladimir Zelensky has caused a national catastrophe in Ukraine and MPs should hold him accountable, according to Oleg Soskin, who served as an aide to two Ukrainian presidents.

The country’s economy has been “destroyed”amid the conflict with Russia, he said in a video that was posted on his YouTube channel on Saturday.

“There’s no breakthrough anywhere” by Ukrainian forces on the front line, Soskin continued, adding that the public “shouldn’t believe retired colonels,” who are speaking about Kiev’s military gains.

Zelensky’s insistence that Ukraine will defeat Russia and his reluctance to acknowledge the actual situation is a sign that the president is “inadequate” both as a manager and a person, he said.

“Zelensky is just dangerous for the country. He’s simply dangerous for the people,” warned Soskin, who served as an aide to Ukrainian presidents Leonid Kravchuk in 1992 and 1993, and Leonid Kuchma between 1998 and 2000.

“Something must be done about Zelensky. I’m calling for it again,” he said. “Gather up, somebody has to show initiative. Some conditions must be put forward for [the president],” Soskin insisted, addressing Ukrainian MPs.

Earlier this week, Zelensky claimed that his team was “preparing powerful things for Ukraine” in cooperation with their Western partners, saying that the country had “taken another step towards the circle of the strongest states in the world.”

The much-hyped Ukrainian counteroffensive began in early June, with Kiev deploying its best Western-equipped and trained brigades in an attempt to sever Russia’s land bridge linking Donbass with Crimea in the southern province of Zaporozhye.

According to Russian estimates, Ukraine has lost more than 43,000 troops and nearly 5,000 pieces of heavy equipment amid the operation, but failed to achieve any significant gains. Kiev has so far reported the seizure of several villages, but they appear to be located some distance away from main Russian defense lines.

Earlier this week, the Washington Post cited a classified US intelligence report, which suggested that “Ukraine’s counteroffensive will fail to reach the key southeastern city of Melitopol,” and that Russia’s land bridge to Crimea won’t be severed this year.

(Ok here we go, first criticism of Zelensky coming out. I knew this was coming. He should leave now or get an early retirement from the CIA!)

https://www.rt.com/russia/581528-zelensky-ukraine-dangerous-soskin/

20 Aug, 2023

Niger’s new military government outlines transitional period

The coup leader, General Abdourahmane Tchiani, has pledged to return the African nation to civilian rule over time

Niger will return to civilian rule within three years, the West African nation’s new military government has pledged, while warning nearby states against trying to intervene in Niamey’s internal affairs.

In a televised address on Saturday evening, General Abdourahmane Tchiani – who deposed President Mohamed Bazoum in late July – said his government would decide on the principles for a transition within a month. The process itself is expected to take “no longer than three years,” Tchiani said.

He also stressed that while neither his government, nor the Nigerien people, want war and “remain open to dialogue,” the country is ready to defend itself against any external “aggression.” Tchiani predicted that such an intervention “would not be the walk in the park that some believe.

Commenting on his first meeting with representatives of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the general expressed confidence that the two sides “will work together to find a way out of the crisis, in the interests of all.”

On Friday, the bloc’s commissioner for political affairs, peace and security, Abdel-Fatau Musah, warned that ECOWAS had decided on “D-Day” for military action in Niger, adding that the member states had “agreed and fine-tuned what will be required for the intervention.”

Last week, the organization ordered the deployment of a “standby force” to reinstall President Bazoum in Niger.

According to Musah, 11 of the 15 member states have agreed to deploy their troops, should an intervention take place.

However, not all ECOWAS members are on board. Chad and Guinea have opposed both sanctions on Niger and any military deployment.

The military governments in Burkina Faso and Mali have gone as far as warning that they will consider a military operation against Niger tantamount to a declaration of war against themselves.

The new military government in Niamey, for its part, has accused ECOWAS of acting at the behest of former colonial ruler France.

Niger’s mines are an important source of uranium for France’s nuclear reactors. Paris has 1,500 soldiers stationed in the country, which the new military rulers want gone.The US has 1,000 military personnel in the country, also declared unwelcome. The contingents were deployed to Niger to fight against numerous terrorist and insurgent groups operating in the Sahel region.

https://www.rt.com/africa/581529-niger-military-government-transitional-period/

18 Aug, 2023

Western calls for Ukraine peace talks a ‘tactical ploy’ – Moscow

The West wants time for Kiev to rearm, Russian FM Sergey Lavrov has said

The US and its allies do not want the Ukraine conflict to end and their purported peace initiatives are merely attempts to buy Kiev time, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview published on Saturday.

Geopolitical issues need to be discussed “not with [Ukrainian President Vladimir] Zelensky, who is a puppet in the hands of the West, but directly with his masters,” Lavrov said earlier this year. Negotiating directly with the Americans would make sense, he told the magazine International Affairs when asked about the idea.

“The problem, however, is that the United States has no intention of ending the conflict,”Lavrov explained, noting that “their officially declared objective is to inflict a ‘strategic defeat’ on Russia.”

Prospects for negotiations between Russia and the West “are non-existent at this stage,”Lavrov said, while Kiev “Western sponsors are constantly pushing them to up the ante.”

Insisting on Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s so-called ‘peace formula’ at meetings in Copenhagen and Jeddah – to which Russia was not invited – “hardly demonstrates an intention by the West to negotiate with Russia,” Lavrov said. Moscow has dismissed Zelensky’s ten-point list of demands as an unacceptable ultimatum unrelated to reality.

Russia has repeatedly tried to negotiate, from the 2014 and 2015 Minsk agreements to the “drastic attempt to convey our concerns to Western capitals” in December 2021, Lavrov noted. The West “arrogantly rejected”Moscow’s initiative and ramped up deliveries of weapons and ammunition to Kiev instead.

“We regard the Westerners’ hypocritical calls for talks as a tactical ploy to buy time once again giving the exhausted Ukrainian troops a respite and the opportunity to regroup, and to send in more weapons and ammunition,”Lavrov said, adding that “this is the path of war, not a peaceful settlement process.”

Angela Merkel, the former chancellor of Germany, admitted last December that the 2015 Franco-German proposal in Minsk was “an attempt to give Ukraine time” to build up its military. This was then confirmed by former French President Francois Hollande.

https://www.rt.com/russia/581486-ukraine-peace-talks-tactical-ploy/